Invertible infrared surface heating unit



Sept. 1958 Dfc. SIEGLA 3,401,256

INVERTIBLE INFRARED SURFACE HEATING UNIT Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Donald 0. .Sieg/a BY gym His Atforney p 1968 D. c. SIEGLA 3,401,256

INVERTIBLE INFRARED SURFACE HEATING UNIT Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I", n r

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INVENTOR. Donald G. .Siegla' His Attorney United States Patent 3,401,256 INVERTIBLE INFRARED SURFACE HEATING UNIT Donald C. Siegla, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,176 7 Claims. (Cl. 219-454) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the preferred form, an infrared energy emitting surface heating unit supported in the top of a domestic range to locate a glass surface on the unit in utensil supporting position. The unit is connected to a telescopic arm in the range that extends to move the unit above the range top. The raised unit is connected to the arm to be inverted to warm articles located on the range top therebelow.

This invention is directed to cooking units and more particularly to infrared cooking units.

Typically, in present-day cooking surface arrangements a plurality of separate surface heating units are disposed in a top surface member for supportingly receiving utensils to be heated. These units are characterized by the fact that the utensil preferably must be located in heat transfer contact with a portion of the surface unit to receive an efficient transfer of energy therefrom.

In certain cases, however, it has been recognized that it is advantageous to locate a source of energy above the top of the surface cooking arrangement in spaced relationship therewith and to direct energy downwardly against the top of the surface heating assembly so as to warm articles supported on the top member.

It is an object of the present invention to improve surface heating assemblies by the provision therein of a dual function heating unit that will be operative to serve as a surface heating unit or as an invertible heat source for food warming and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to improve surface cooking assemblies by the provision therein of an improved infrared surface heating unit that is operable as a surface heating unit in the top of the assembly or as a food warmer located in spaced inverted relationship above the top of the assembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to improve surface heating assemblies having a top member by the provision of an improved infrared surface heating unit therein that includes an open ended container and a cover of infrared transmissive material for covering the open end and through which infrared radiation is directed from an infrared source within the container and wherein the container is supported with respect to a top member of the assembly within an opening therein and movable from a first position where the cover thereof is located in the plane of the top member to a position where the cover member is in spaced relationship and inverted with respect to the top member so that energy therefrom through radiant heat transfer will serve to warm articles supported on the top member.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will "be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a domestic range including the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in end elevation of a range partial- 3,401,256 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 1y broken away showing the improved heater assembly of the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section of the infrared surface heating unit of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a domestic range 10 is illustrated including a top surface member 12 having an opening 14 therein in which is located an infrared heating assembly 16 of the present invention. Representatively shown is a controller 17 on a rearwardly located panel 19 of the range 10 that is selectively positionable to vary the energization of an electrically energizable resistance element in the surface unit 16.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 3, the infrared heating assembly 16 is illustrated as including an outer container 18 having a base 20 and a peripheral wall 22 inclined outwardly of the base 20 and bent over at the upper edge 24 thereof to form an end opening 26 to the container 18. An infrared heating lamp 28 is supported within the container 18 and includes an electrically insulated base 30 thereof supported by the base 20. The infrared heating lamp 28 has a bulb portion 32 formed of a suitable infrared transmissive material such as quartz or the like. Within the bulb 32 is located an electrically energizable tungsten filament 34 having opposite ends thereof electrically connected to lead wires 36, 38, respectively. The lead wires 36, 38 are directed through the base 30 and electrically connected to terminals 40, 42 that extend through the base 20 of the container 18 for connection across a suitable power source.

The illustrated tungsten filament 34 is merely representative of one suitable high temperature resistance element that is electrically energizable into a high temperature range, in the case of the tungsten filament illustrated at a temperature of approximately 2500 F., to produce a substantial energy output therefrom in the near infrared region. The energy radiating from the filament 34 is directed against a reflector 44 that is disposed within the container 18 in surrounding relationship to the infrared heating lamp 28. The reflector 44, more particularly, has a contoured inner surface 45 that is formed to direct the infrared radiation from the lamp 28 as a collimated beam through the open end of the container 18 and thence through an infrared transmissive cover plate 46 that is supportingly received by a peripheral surface 50 on the reflector 44 at the end thereof and secured thereagainst by an annular ring 52 that directs spillage or the like from the upper surface of the cover plate 46 away from the infrared heating unit 16.

The reflector 44 may be a highly polished aluminum or may have an infrared reflective coating of gold, silver or the like applied over a steel or glass substrate. The contour of the reflector 44 is designed so that the emitted radiant energy from the lamp 28 is directed through substantially the full planar extent of the cover plate 46 as a beam that is slightly divergent from the perimetric limits of the cover plate 46.

The cover plate 46 preferably is constructed of a highly heat resistant material that is transparent to shortwave length energy in the infrared and near infrared range. Suitable materials are quartz, a recrystallized glass ceramic material such as Cer-Vit, of Owens-Illinois, or a high silica glass such as Vycor, of Corning. If desired, the plate 46 may be either pigmented or coated with a dichr-oic coating to minimize the amount of visible light that will pass through the plate 46.

The container 18 is shown in a first operative position wherein the cover plate 46 is located in the plane of the top 12 of the range 10 within the opening 14 therein. In this position, the cover plate 46 serves as a utensil supporting surface for locating utensils in good radiant heat transfer relationship with the infrared heating lamp 28.

In the first operative position, the heating unit 16 thereby serves as a surface heating unit on the top 12 of the range 10.

According to certain other of the principles of the present invention, the container 18 has a bifurcated member 54 secured on one side thereof including an opening 56 therethrough. An arm 60 is pivotally connected within the member 54 by a pin 62. The arm 60 has the opposite end thereof secured to a top member 63 of a multi-segmented telescoping arm 64 with a base portion 66 thereof supported by a suitable frame member 67 of range 10. The arm 60 is aligned With an opening 68 in the top 12 that merges with the opening 14 therein. The opening 68 is closed by a cover 70. If desired, the cover 70 can be removed and the surface unit can be raised by the telescoping arm 64 to a point above the top 12 as seen in FIGURE 2 and the container 18 can be pivoted about the pivot pin 62 so as to locate the cover 46 of the unit 16 in spaced parallelism with the top 12. In this configuration the infrared heating lamp 28 is arranged in radiant heat transfer relationship with an article that might be supported adjacent the opening 14 therein. The unit 16 can be positioned over the article by rotation about the axis of the telescoping arm 64 whereby the unit 16 will be.

located in an overhead location and the infrared radiation therefrom will be directed against the top of the range to be used for warming foods, thawing frozen foods, light broiling or the like.

The telescoping arm 64 permits the unit to be retracted into the range top and disposed therein both for storage and for utilization as a surface heating unit.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A heater assembly for association with a range top or the like comprising, an open ended container, an infrared emissive heating element supported within said container energizable into a high temperature infrared emissive range, an infrared reflector surface in said container for direct infrared radiation from said resistance element through the open end of said container, an infrared transmissive member covering said open end of said container, means for supporting said container with respect to a datum surface, said support means including means for inverting said container with respect to said datum surface and for moving said container relative to said datum.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said infrared reflective surface being configured to collimate infrared radiation from said resistance element for direction as a beam through said open end of said container and said cover plate.

3. In the combination of claim 1, said support means including a telescoping arm and means for pivotally connecting said container to said telescoping arm for inverting said container with respect to the datum surface.

4. In a cooking surface assembly, the combination of, a top member having an opening therein, a container having an open end, said container having a source of infrared energy supported therein, a reflective surface within said container for directing infrared energy from said source through said open end of said container, a cover plate of infrared transmissive material closing the open end of said container, support means for locating said cover plate within said top member opening to extend across substantially the full planar extent of said opening, said support means including means for raising said container above said top member and for translating said container with respect to said top member to align said cover plate in spaced inverted relationship with respect to said top member.

5. In the combination of claim 4, said support means including a telescoping arm and means for pivotally connecting said container to said telescoping arm, said opening in said top member being aligned with said telescoping arm for receiving said telescoping arm when said container is raised with respect to said top member.

6. In the combination of claim 4, said reflective surface including means for collimating infrared radiation rays from said infrared source and for passing them as a beam through said open end of said container to heat the full planar extent of said cover plate.

7. An infrared heater assembly comprising a container having an open end, an infrared emissive source within said container, means for directing radiant energy from said infrared source through the open end of said container, extensible means supporting said container to align the open end thereof with a datum plane and to face in a first predetermined direction, said extensible means including means for moving and positioning said container so that said open end thereof is located in spaced relationship with the datum plane, means for pivoting said container to locate said open end of said container to direct radiant energy in a direction opposite from said first predetermined direction, said extensible means including a telescoping arm and means for pivotally connecting said container to said telescoping arm for inverting said container with respect to a datum surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1953 A-mes 2l9454 1/1959 Fisher et a1. 219454 X 

